Clash of Civilizations

From dKosopedia

Category: MemeTank

Clash of Civilizations is the idea that in the post-Cold War period, international politics will be characterized by conflict between global civilizations, which are identified in terms of essentialized religious-philosophical belief systems. The new enemy in this global struggle is obviously Islam. The theory serves as a replacement for anti-communism as a rationale for heavy military spending and military intervention in the impoverished planetary south by the adbanced industrial democracies, especialy the United States.

Rhetorical Examples

• "If we left Iraq prematurely, as the terrorists demand, the enemy would tell us to leave Afghanistan and then withdraw from the Middle East. And if we left the Middle East, they'd order us and all those who don't share their militant ideology to leave what they call the occupied Muslim lands from Spain to the Philippines. And then we would face not only the evil ideology of these violent extremist, but an enemy that will have grown accustomed to succeeding in telling free people everywhere what to do." Donald Rumsfeld's August 3, 2005 statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Source: "Transcript: Opening Statements: U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Iraq and Afghanistan." CQ Wire Transcripts and Washington Post. August 3, 2006.